How dependency status changes military housing allowance planning in 2026.
Open the calculator in another tab and run the scenario with your exact rank, years of service, duty state, dependency status, TSP percentage, and insurance settings. These articles explain what to compare, while the calculator gives the estimate.
BAH has two dependency categories: with dependents and without dependents. The with-dependents rate is generally higher, but it is not multiplied by the number of dependents. A service member with one qualifying dependent and a service member with several qualifying dependents generally use the same with-dependents rate for the same grade and location.
The difference can be small in some markets and substantial in others. During PCS planning, the gap between the two rates should be compared against local rent, utilities, school commute, pet costs, deposits, and whether on-base housing would capture the full allowance.
No. BAH uses with-dependents or without-dependents categories. It does not keep increasing for each additional dependent.
No. BAH is not federal taxable income and is not treated as state wage income.
Use the official DoD BAH rate lookup for exact duty ZIP, rank, year, and dependency status.